Improved mode of using steam foe heating and evapoeating



H. MERRILL. STEAM EVAPORATOR.

No. 64,347. Patented Apr. 3o, 1867.

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IMPROVED MOD- 0F USING STEAM POR HEATINGAND BVAPORATING.

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, HELEM MERRILL, a' citizen of the United States of America, have invented a new andimproved )lode of Using Steain for all Purposes oi' Heating or Evaporatng; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, vand to the letters of reference marked thereon.

My improvement consists in the manneroi' returning the water of condensation back into the steam boiler I or generator .when the heaters, evaporators, or condensers are above or below the water level in the boiler, thus i keeping the coils and return pipes free from water. The steam bcingdry, imparts more heat for the purposes required, thereby causing agrcat economy in fuel.

To enable others skille in the art to make and usc my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction.

Figure 1 is a front view of a steam boilerwith a receiving anddivscharging cylinder, also a heater above and one below the water level inthe boiler, together with the necessary pipes and Valves.'

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical section of one of the cylinders and float as attached to the steam or water-cock. Y i

Figure 3 is a cross-section of a. cylinder, float, and arm.,

Figure 4 is a vertical .section of one of the check-valves.

The letters of reference show corresponding parts in the different lgures represented in the accompanying drawings. u p

Steam is generated in boiler A, tig. 1. The air-cocks, y g, tig.' 1, receiidngfcylinderv G, and dischargingcylinder, H, fig. 1, are opened. The steam lis letinto the main pipe', C, through the stop-valve B, and into the coil D, which' is above the water level, as indicated by red line 2f, and also intoA coil E, which is below the water line, through the ,cocks h 71,'all in lig. 1. As the steam is condensed in the coils bythe process of heating or evaporating, the Water of condensation passes down` into and through the condensing pipe F into cylinder G, lig. 1. When all the air is exhausted through cock g, it is closed, and the water rises, carryingup the float a', iig. 2, until it strikes the arm o', iig. 2, and carries it up with the rod and arm b, figs. 2 andw 3, which i are connected togctherthrough a stuffing-box on the outer side enfV cylinder. The connecting-rod e is attached by a loose joint to the arm l, iig. 2. rlhe other end of theA rod has aslot that moves on a pin on the side of the ball-arm l?. When the float raises the arm b, fig. 1', it brings the end of the slot in contact with the'pin, and throws the hall P pastthe centre, when it falls by itsrbwn weight, being loose on the pin which projects from the head of the key of the cock N, fig. 1. The quadrant, 'which is attached irmly to the key ofthe cool-r,v

has two points projecting outward, against which the shaft holding the ball strikes in its fall and carries the Y quadrant round, thereby opening the watercockN, tig.' 1, allowing the water to flow from cylinderG through pipe J, and check-valve I and pipe K, into discharging-cylinder H, iig. 1. 1lhe air-cock g in cylinder H being still open, there is no pressure on the top ofthe' water, which rises, carrying the float and arms, as before described in fig. 2,-nntil it is near the top, when the air-coizk g is closed, and the float having raised the inner end of the arm Z), iig. 1, it carries the outer end down by the shaft in the stuffing-box being the axis, until it has drawn the ball-arm P down by means of the connecting-rod c', iig. 1, Vthus throwing the ball past the centre, it falls and operates as before described for receiving' cylinder G, fig. 1. The ball P, in falling, moves the quadrant attached to the kcy of the cock O, admits thc/steam from therboiler A, through pipe r, into the cylinder H on top of the water, which being above th level, and bythe pressure of the steam on its surface, causes it to flou" downward by its orrn gravity through pipe lc, up through valve L, pipe M, and cock e', into the boiler A, iig. l1. When the ivater is nearly all out of cylinder H, the'iloathaving fallen, closes the steam cock 'O by means of the lever, connectingfrod, and ball-arm. By reversing the`ba-ll it stops the steam froml entering the cylinder H, gfl. The cylinder G having discharged its Water into the cylinder H, the dont has fallen and closed thecock N i'n the same manner as described for the steam cock 0. While the water is again illing the cylinder G, the steam isbeing condensed in the cylinder H, thus reducing the pressure, so that when the Water again rises sufficiently to open the cock N, it rushes up as before described to fill the vacuum caused by the steam being condensed in the cylinder H. The pressure on the top of the water in the cylinder G also forces it up, thereby making the operation su're, the cylinders receiving and discharging alternately, as described. The

cockg. 1, at the bottom of the cylinder G, is for drawing oli` the water when the whole apparatus is not in opera-tion. The float a', iig. 2, has a. tube through its centre, and is air-tight. The [rod whieh holds the oat in the centreof the cylinder passes through the tube, the float thereby being independent of the levers until they come in contact by the rising or falling of the iva-ter; One or more coils or Vheaters muy be used at the same time. If motive poner is required from the sume boiler, n. separate pipe shouldv be used for thut purpose.

WhatI claim, and desireft secure by Letters Patent, is y i 1. The retaining ofthe water in the receiving and discharging-cylinders until :it-required height it exerts a power suicient to perform the oprations,'substantially as described and set forth. v 2. The independent float, asvconn'ected and combinednvith thc stop-cocks, mfiking'the whole apparatus selfacting, for the 'purposes substantially asset-forth and described.

3. I claim the method of returning theivat'er of condensntion to the boiler, substantially as described.

HELEM MERRILL. [1.. 5.]

Wit-nessesz'- JAMES G. COOPER, P. J. MANNING. 

